Path: Interplanetary/AsteroidProspector
% Simulate proximity operations around an asteroid. The spacecraft has 3-axis thruster control. Ideal attitude sensing is assumed. The PID controller produces a torque vector which is applied directly to the spacecraft. The control keeps the body X axis aligned towards the asteroid as the maneuver takes place. The initial relative velocity is zero; it takes about 3 minutes to achieve the target velocity, and another few minutes for the attitude rates to settle. The 3D plot shows the resulting trajectory along with the force vector in green and the sensor vector (body X) in red. See also Inertias, CircularManeuver, PID3Axis, RHSRigidBody6DOF, LoadCAD, DrawCAD